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Cameras on 'open' nests
Open-nesting species of birds range from small passerines to the largest raptors. Wildlife Windows
staff, with their long-standing interest in birds and ringing, are very knowledgeable about a wide range of species....
When fitting a camera near a bird's nest, there are many factors to consider, most critical of which is to avoid disturbance to the
occupants. When making judgements about when and where to put a camera, there is no substitute for knowledge and experience - not just
in the use of technology, but also in avian ecology and behaviour, and wildlife legislation. Here's a list of some of the
expertise we have in the Wildlife Windows team:
- Choosing a site for an artificial nest basket (for species that use
baskets).
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Finding an unoccupied nest prior to the breeding system (for species that re-use nests).
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Knowing WHEN it is safe to attach a camera near an active nest.
- Knowing HOW to introduce cameras in an gradual way
to an active nest (methods vary between species).
- Knowing WHERE to fit a camera where it won't upset the birds.
- Knowing how
to hide or camouflage cameras.
- Climbing to nests in high trees, buildings or cliffs.
- Knowing how best to fix the camera to
get the best views, taking into account lighting conditions, nest movement, bird behaviour, weather etc.
- Knowing what cameras, lenses
and lighting are most appropriate for particular species and conditions.
- Knowing how to get AV signals from a remote nest to a
viewing location.
- Holding Schedule 1 licences for a variety of species.
- Skill at active nest finding (most particularly for
raptors, but also for many other species).
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Knowing what licences are required for protected species and what activities are
permitted under UK and EU wildlife legislation.
Photos
Top: An extraordinary sparrowhawk nest that we filmed in 2005, two females and one male breeding as
a group.
Bottom: A female hobby incubating, while being watched by one of our
camera installations.
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Cameras on cliffs
Cliff-mounted PTZ (pan tilt zoom) cameras for watching seabirds are challenging installations but the rewards are
high. Being able to watch the comings and goings of seabirds such as razorbills, guillemots and kittiwakes is a special privilege.
Seabird cameras can help educate visitors to a site and be used as a valuable monitoring tool. Wildlife Windows can design,
plan and install seabird colony cameras.
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Live streaming service
Willdife Windows can offer a professional live camera streaming service. Existing or new cameras
can be streamed live on your website.
Analogue cameras can be streamed using Adobe Flash, Windows Media Player or Silverlight. IP (network)
cameras can be streamed in HD (H.264) format.
Live streams can generate huge amounts of traffic to your website. For example, over a two month period in 2011, watching nesting birds, the RSPB at Arne had close to 200,000 separate views to their
live camera installed by WW. In the same period Dorset Wildlife Trust had close to 100,000 hits to one of their live cameras.
The cost of streaming depends on the
period for which the stream operates and bandwidth used; please contact us for details.
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Nest boxes with cameras
Nest boxes are the traditional location for wildlife cameras. They provide wonderful opportunities to
watch nesting birds at extremely close quarters. However, installing a nestbox camera well is not as easy as you might think....
Fixing a camera in a nestbox seems simple, but isn't. Firstly there's the welfare of the birds to consider - their chances of
rearing a brood must not be compromised by the installation of a camera.
Then there's the box itself, which has to be
high build quality, and should be designed for both the bird AND the camera.
Finally there's the location of the box, which
has to be in appropriate habitat, at the optimal height and facing in the best direction (among other things).
At
Wildlife Windows, because of our life-long interest in all things ornithological, we are very good at choosing sites and installing nest
boxes for a wide range of bird species. Prior to starting Wildlife Windows, we ran large scale nest box provision and monitoring
schemes, and have built and installed many hundreds (perhaps even thousands) of nest boxes. These have been of all shapes and sizes,
but we are especially experienced at providing breeding accommodation for birds of prey.
We can help with your project in a
number of ways. Many of our clients are themselves experts on the species they wish to film, and don't need us to choose sites for the
boxes. In such cases, we can either provide a camera-ready box (with or without a camera - see below) or fit a camera to an existing
box.
Using a camera-ready box is usually preferable to fitting a camera to an existing one, mainly because the former is
specifically configured to house a camera in a position where it gives an optimal view of the bird. Considerations include camera
angle, distance to subject, background, lighting and several other factors.
The reason we call our nest boxes "camera-ready" is
because we don't usually suggest fitting a camera in every box, though we do recommend having a box into which a camera can be easily
inserted. It is rare for every box to be occupied, so why buy cameras that may not be used? Better to buy as many
boxes as are likely to be needed (for a good chance that at least one will be used), and a single camera that can be fitted to any one of
them, when required.
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Nest Platforms - Ospreys
We have designed, built and installed osprey platforms.
Photos
Top: Jason at rest on his newly-built osprey nest.
Bottom: Not quite the species we wanted to attract!
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Viewing Systems
The public face of any wildlife camera system is the viewing system, comprising a screen and perhaps interpretation
panels and camera controls. This has to be high quality and in keeping with it's surroundings...
Wildlife Windows
provides a screen, usually in a bespoke timber console/cabinet, perhaps with interpretation panels and camera controls...channel
switching or camera controls, vandal-proof public control buttons and a player for pre-recorded video. |
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| Consultancy |
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Barn Owl
Not only does Wildlife Windows have particular expertise in surveying for Barn Owls, but we also have specialist equipment,
designed and built by specifically for this purpose....
We can advise on the following issues in relation to Barn
Owls:
- Presence/absence, breeding or roosting, in buildings and trees.
- Mitigation measures.
- Nest box design,
location and installation.
- Habitat management and creation.
- Funding possibilities.
- Surveys of nest boxes
(requires a Schedule 1 licence, which we hold).
- Camera installation in new or existing nest chambers.
Presence/Absence Surveys
Signs of barn owl occupancy in a building are not always as easy to spot as
one might expect. For instance, if the birds live in an attic space, inaccessible to people, it may not be possible to see their
pellets. We use specially-designed pole-mounted video cameras that allow us to see into these inaccessible places.
Our surveying
staff are fully licensed for both barn owls and bats. They have many years experience, not just in surveying for Barn Owls, but also as
bird ringers, nest box builders and installers. There are few people more knowledgeable in barn owl nesting and roosting behaviour,
signs of site occupancy and appropriate mitigation, than an experienced owl ringer. This is precisely our level of expertise, plus we
have specialist equipment not normally available to other surveyors.
We have low overheads, and our video surveying equipment
not only helps us find owls easily, but can also make it quicker to check a site. This allows us to keep costs down, making our
services very competitive.
A site that requires surveying for Barn Owls is quite often one where bats are present too. We can
offer both services as part of a single survey, which is more cost effective than doing them separately. See [link to bat survey] for
details of our bat surveys.
Photos
Top: Barn owl chick looking into lens
of infra red CCTV camera.
Bottom: Barn owl chicks ready for ringing.
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Bats
We use our specialist equipment and climbing expertise to conduct bat surveys.
Photos
Top: Using a radio-linked camera and FieldScreen to observe inside tree cavities that could contain
bats.
Bottom: Climber with radio-linked camera, instructed by observer with FieldScreen at base of tree.
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Birds
Most EIAs focus on certain protected species, which are listed here under separate headings. However, Wildlife Windows
staff have detailed knowledge of nearly all British birds, and can offer a variety of ornithological consultancy services...
Here's some bird work we're really good at:
- Bird ringing demonstrations (subject to suitable site and
purpose).
- Bird surveys (based on sightings, calls and other signs).
- Nest finding (e.g. for fitting a camera, subject to
disturbance risk and level of legal protection).
- Nest box schemes - scheme design for site, box design or selection, box
installation and maintenance, monitoring and reporting etc.
- Habitat management and creation - design advice and help with
implementation.
- Wild bird seed crops - planting advice.
- Ornithological research projects - project design, equipment
selection and training (electronic monitoring and tracking systems), help with analysis and manuscript preparation.
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Otter
We use a combination of our field skills and automated video monitoring equipment to survey for otters.
Dorset, where we are based, is believed to have a growing population of otters. We have recorded them on video using movement
sensitive video cameras, and we have even had the privilege of seeing otter cubs playing in broad daylight.
Surveying for
otters usually entails looking for evidence of their presence (e.g. spraints) rather than the animals themselves. However, using video cameras with automatic detection mechanisms it is possible to detect otters in specific locations and with less ambiguity, as well as collect interesting footage, e.g. for presentations.
We have also been involved with construction of artificial otter holts, and in particular, with the design of a
chamber with an integrated camera and IR lighting.
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